xviper

This has been discussed and argued till the moon turns blue. Honda recommends 10W30 or 5W40. Syntec, Mobil 1, Amsoil, Penzoil, Quaker State., etc, etc. What do you like? What is easy for you to get? Read the oil threads stickied at the top of this section.

M2736185

So...I read through the threads and the majority seem to prefer Honda MTF for the transmission Mobil 75W90 for diff, but as far as oil...there seems to be no consensus on the type..weight or brand. I have heard many good things about mobile 1 fully sythetic, but is there a real benifit other than the oil change interval?

brummimatt

I have a similar problem when mine is cold. Only really on first and second gear though. Eases up once its warm. Im having my clutch changed this week so will let you know if it helps.

brum

M2736185

I found a great post comparing the different lubes.

https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/169...w30-for-s2000/

Amsoil seems superior in every test. Mobile 1 is usually in the middle or towards the top. I think I will go with Amsoil, but if I cant find any mobile 1 will do.

Andersonracing

Ive been dealing with trannys for a long time, and if all of your components (clutch, pressure plate, tranny, flywheel etc.) are working correctly you should have no problem at all running a simple generic 90w gear oil. that being said, a synthetic oil would be better just because of the breakdown factor over time. a manual trans doesn't build a 1/4 the temperature of a automatic. so when you drain your trans oil it should look very bad at all, mabye a few shades darker than how it came out of the bottle.

As for the not going into gear problem, start with the simple things, bleed the clutch, check the slave adjustment and check the pressure plate for extensive wear (very unlikely).

HAMM3RED

I started my car for the first time in three days with weather that was 25 as a high and in the teens for lows. My car also sits outside, for now. I had absolutely no issues when it came to drivability this morning. I use GM Synchromesh in the transmission and Mobil 1 75w90 in the differential. I'm very happy with the way these fluids have been holding up. I've also done a couple track days with this fluid combo with no complaints.

Note: I've only put about 3100 miles on these fluids thus far.

xviper

It looks like as this thread has progressed, we've intermingled the discussion between engine oil, tranny fluid and diff fluid. Not sure if you were even interested in diff fluid.
Anyway, for engine oil, go with any brand name motor oil of the recommended viscosity and API rating. Mobil 1 seems to burn up faster for some S2000s than with other oils. Look at the date of that thread you linked. Times change and so have oil formulations. Amsoil is good but might be over kill for the vast majority of S2000s. Do you really want to spend that kind of money when a much cheaper oil will do just as well? That's up to you. Castrol Syntec seems to be today's favored choice among S2000 owners.
As for the tranny fluid, you can't go wrong with Honda's current offering of MTF, which is closer to a 5W30 motor oil with extra additives. I wouldn't be putting a 90 weight gear oil into the tranny. That's more for the diff.

M2736185

Really? Well there happens to be. Buy one get one free of Castro syntec right now at advanced. I recently purchased the car and have no idea when the fluids have been changed so I am doing everything. Previous owner looks like they were using mobile 1 oil filter. I think I'll stick to that.

xviper

If you're changing all fluids, might I suggest .................
For engine ................ Syntec 10W30 or 5W40 (about 5.5 qts.)
For tranny ................ Honda MTF (you'll buy 2 qt. bottles but will only use about 1.75 qts.)
For diff .................. Mobil 1 75W90 or 75W110 or SAE 90. All MUST be GL-5 rated. The SAE 90 is obtained from most motorcycle shops and is sold as "hypoid gear oil". You'll need 1 bottle but use only about 0.8 qt. of it.
Check the boiling point and freeze point of the engine coolant. If you need to change it, flush it out real good and use Honda Type II. It's already pre-mixed (no dilution needed). You'll need ~2 gallons. Bleeding the system can be tricky but do some reading and you'll find the procedure.
Consider changing the brake and clutch fluids. You can use DOT 3 or DOT 4 brake fluid. If you intend on doing a complete flush and change, you should get about 1 liter (1 qt.). If you want to just do a basic change for the time being, just suck out the stuff in the reservoirs and replace that. You'll only need less than a pint.

M2736185

Thanks.

One more question. Since I dont know if syntetic or regular oil was used in the car before. Should I add one of those oil cleaners before I add the syntec